Unauthorised traveller caravan sites surge across England, sparking planning disputes

England has seen a marked rise in unauthorised Gypsy and traveller caravan sites, with January counts at 4,950, up 73% from 2020, and summer numbers climbing 44% between 2019 and 2025. Local officials say the planning system has slipped out of their grasp, and nearby villagers liken the speed of new builds to a military operation. The government labels the unauthorised growth as totally unacceptable and stresses that councils possess robust powers to address it.

Traveller advocate Cliff Codona, who chairs the National Travellers' Action Group, contends that planning applications are routinely blocked, leaving some to break the law to secure land. He recounts setting up his family's site in Cambridgeshire without permission and later obtaining a retrospective approval despite opposition. Councillor George Jeffery warns that lax enforcement has made authorities appear soft, citing past forced evictions and ongoing disputes over sites such as Newlands Road in Basildon.